Interprovider Virtual Private Network Path Identification

1. A method comprising: identifying a provider network provider edge router having a provider edge interface serving as part of an inter-provider virtual private network path; obtaining routing information from the provider edge router; identifying, from the routing information, a remote customer edge interface of a customer edge router connected to the provider edge interface by an intermediate service provider; identifying the path and associated links between the identified provider edge interface and the identified remote customer edge interface; identifying a failing interface of the inter-provider virtual private network path using the identified path; and indicating: that the provider edge router is a cause of the failure if the failing interface has been identified as the provider edge interface of the provider edge router; that the customer edge router is a cause of the failure if the failing interface has been identified customer edge interface of the customer edge router; and that the cause of the failure is the intermediate service provider if the failing interface has not been identified as either the provider edge interface of the provider edge router or the customer edge interface of the customer edge router.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the identity of the entry/exit interface serving as part of the path is obtained by consulting a management information base table of the entry/exit interface.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the routing information is obtained from a virtual routing and forwarding (VRF) table of the provider edge router.

4. The method of claim 3 , wherein the routing information is obtained by filtering out information other than routes to the remote customer edge interface from the provider edge router.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the identification of the path comprises obtaining the path from a border gateway protocol management information base of the remote customer edge router.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the identification of the path comprises obtaining the path from a border gateway protocol management information base of the provider edge router.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the identification of the path comprises using a route number of the provider edge interface to the remote customer edge interface.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the provider network provider edge interface is part of a provider network implemented in a multiprotocol label switching mechanism.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the provider edge interface comprises a provider edge area border router of a first service provider in a first geographic region, wherein the customer edge router is part of a second service provider in a second geographical region distinct from the first geographic region and wherein the first service provider does not have a point of presence in the second geographic region.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein identifying the failed link failed link comprise identifying which link of a plurality of links has failed.

11. A non-transitory computer readable-device/memory containing code to direct a processor to: identify a provider network provider edge router having a provider edge interface serving as part of an inter-provider virtual private network path; obtain routing information from the provider edge router; identify, from the routing information, a remote customer edge interface of a customer edge router connected to the provider edge interface by an intermediate service provider; identify the path and associated links between the identified provider edge interface and the identified remote customer edge interface; identify a failing interface of the inter-provider virtual private network path using the identified path; and indicate: that the provider edge router is a cause of the failure if the failing interface has been identified as the provider edge interface of the provider edge router; that the customer edge router is a cause of the failure if the failing interface has been identified customer edge interface of the customer edge router; and that the cause of the failure is the intermediate service provider if the failing interface has not been identified as either the provider edge interface of the provider edge router or the customer edge interface of the customer edge router.

12. A network manager comprising: a processing unit; a memory storage device storing: code to direct the processing unit to: identify a provider network provider edge router having a provider edge interface serving as part of an inter-provider virtual private network path; obtain routing information from the provider edge router; identify, from the routing information, a remote customer edge interface of a customer edge router connected to the provider edge interface by an intermediate service provider; identify the path and associated links between the identified provider edge interface and the identified remote customer edge interface; identify a failing interface of the inter-provider virtual private network path using the identified path; and indicate: that the provider edge router is a cause of the failure if the failing interface has been identified as the provider edge interface of the provider edge router; that customer edge router is a cause of the failure if the failing interface has been identified customer edge interface of the customer edge router; and that the cause of the failure is the intermediate service provider if the failing interface has not been identified as either the provider edge interface of the provider edge router or the customer edge interface of the customer edge router.

13. The network manager of claim 12 , further comprising a display, wherein the code further directs the processing unit to identify on the display a failed link of the identified path-using the identified path.

14. The network manager of claim 12 , wherein the provider edge interface comprises a provider edge area border router of a first service provider in a first geographic region, wherein the customer edge router is part of a second service provider in a second geographical region distinct from the first geographic region and wherein the first service provider does not have a point of presence in the second geographic region.

15. The non-transitory computer readable-device/memory of claim 11 , wherein the provider edge interface comprises a provider edge area border router of a first service provider in a first geographic region, wherein the customer edge router is part of a second service provider in a second geographical region distinct from the first geographic region and wherein the first service provider does not have a point of presence in the second geographic region.